Image processing device, image forming device, image processing method, image forming method, program, and computer readable recording medium on which the program is recorded

Abstract

In case of transmitting a document file such as a PDF file to a printer without converting it into print data, a PC extracts from the document file to be printed information to be accessed when starting an analysis of the document file and transmits the information to the printer. The PC extracts a specified data from the document file and transmits it to the printer each time when the specified data is requested by the printer.

1. An image data providing device, comprising:
 a data extractor configured to automatically extract, from a document file, an analysis portion of the document file in response to a user's instruction for direct printing and configured to extract, from the document file, one or more data portions corresponding to one or more data requests from an image printing device; 
 wherein the analysis portion of the document file is necessary for identifying the one or more data portions corresponding to one or more data requests; 
 a transmitter configured to transmit the analysis portion to the image printing device prior to receiving any requests from the image printing device, to initiate printing of the document file, and to transmit the one or more data portions extracted by the data extractor to the image printing device; and 
 a receiver configured to receive the one or more data requests from the image printing device after the transmitter transmits the analysis portion to the image printing device, 
 wherein the data extractor and the transmitter are configured to cooperate to extract and transmit to the image printing device the one or more data portions corresponding to the one or more data requests from the image printing device received by the receiver. 
 
     
     
       2. The image data providing device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data portions transmitted by the transmitter to the image printing device are not linearized. 
     
     
       3. The image data providing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the image data providing device is physically separate from the image printing device, and 
 wherein the receiver and the transmitter are configured to communicate with the image printing device over a communications network, or 
 wherein the receiver and the transmitter are configured to communicate with the image printing device over a dedicated local connection. 
 
     
     
       4. The image data providing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the document file is a PDF file, and 
 wherein the data extractor is configured to extract a trailer of the PDF file as the analysis portion. 
 
     
     
       5. The image data providing device of  claim 4 , wherein the data extractor is configured to also extract a cross reference table of the PDF file and include the cross reference table in the analysis portion. 
     
     
       6. The image data providing device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data requests from the image printing device includes location information, wherein the location information is information of a location of the corresponding data within the document file. 
     
     
       7. The image data providing device of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the location information is offset information from a front of the document file to a front of the corresponding data, and 
 wherein each of the one or more data requests further includes length information, wherein the length information indicates a size of the corresponding data in the document file. 
 
     
     
       8. The image data providing device of  claim 1 , comprising a central processing unit (CPU) configured to execute a computer program, which acts as at least part of the functions realized by the data extractor, the transmitter and the receiver.